


There's no way we're gonna give up

by orphan_account



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Cuddling & Snuggling, Depression, I've been working on this for a long time, M/M, Panic Attacks, Sad Ashton, Worried Calum, Worried Luke, Worried Michael
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 17:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4674836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Ash?” Luke asks cautiously, moving towards Ashton’s small - slightly trembling - body. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's no way we're gonna give up

“Guys, where’s my Ashy gone?” Luke wonders idly. He nudges his foot against Michael’s fluffy hair as he, Luke and Calum wind down backstage from the show they just concluded, floating around in that post-concert daze. The other two of Luke’s band mates are tangled around each other lazily on the floor by his feet, Calum sprawled over Mikey. Luke's sat alone on the sofa, head leaned back against the sofa cushions.

He had just now become aware that somewhere between the stage and this small dressing room that they had occupied, Ashton had somehow slipped away, beneath the radar of the three adrenaline-high boys.

“I don’t know. Where is he?”Calum’s words slur slightly as he glances around the small room with hi wide, curious puppy eyes, as if to check that the eldest boy weren't hiding in there, somewhere, waiting to jump out at them.

“Is he in the other dressing room?” Mikey inputs, his eyes glued to the screen of his phone over Calum’s shoulder. Trawling through his twitter feed, probably checking what the fans had said about the show.

“I will go check” Luke announces, rising slowly from the sofa, an arm outstretched in front of him. He heads down the corridor, towards the other backstage room - just down the hall from the one the three of them had taken over. He enters the silent room and flicks on the lights but instantly falters at the sight that he’s faced with.

Their eldest band member is curled tightly into himself, back pressing back against one of the cabinets that line the walls - his legs tucked up into his body, his face buried into his knees. Luke's instantly reminded of all those years ago, when he used to find Ash like this at the foot of his bed or on the floor of come grungy public toilets.

“Ash?” Luke asks cautiously, moving towards Ashton’s small - slightly trembling - body. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

The youngest band member crouches down in front of Ashton and tries again. “Ashy, can you look at me? Please Ashton, what’s going on?”

Suddenly, Ashton heaves in a huge breath, as though it were his first in ages, and slowly lifts his head. His cheeks are drowning in tears and he looks completely exhausted.

“Lukey” he whimpers brokenly, and instantly Luke’s arms are enclosing him, holding Ashton tight as he sobs into the younger boy’s T shirt. Luke rubs one hand over his back and the other strokes through his soft hair, gently rocking them side to side.

“Hey, hey. It’s okay, you’re okay. Everything’s alright, yeah? Don’t worry.” He mumbles soothing words into Ashton’s shoulder.

After a few minutes, Ashton finally begins to calm down and gratefully accepts Luke’s help standing. He stumbles forward but catches himself on Luke’s side, whom is quick to wrap a steady arm around Ashton’s waist.

“C’mon Ash, the boys are in the other room. We can go back to the bus now, yeah?” Ashton nods and stays tucked into Luke’s side as they walk back to the other dressing room - angrily wiping at his wet cheeks.

The pair slowly return to find Calum and Michael. They both immediately spring off the floor and towards the two when they see the state that Ashton’s got himself in.

“Ash? What happened?” Michael asks, running his thumbs over Ash’s tear-stained cheekbones, who melts forward into the comforting touch.

“I’m just a bit worn out guys, I’m fine” Ashton whispers, his voice hoarse from the sobbing. All three then wrap their arms around each other, holding the group together in a soft, group hug. Luke presses his face into Calum’s neck and tightens his arms around the two boys either side of him.

They stand there for a while, until one of their security team comes to tell them the bus is here - rolling their eyes fondly at the cuddling band.

They all pile together into the front room of the bus, Ashton pressed against Luke’s chest, his head tucked under Luke’s chin, where it always seems to rest whenever they cuddle. He doesn’t move until the other boys decide that they'll all sleep in the back room tonight.

So in a pile of duvets and cushions and whatever else they could find, they all end up falling asleep squished together on the floor, arms wrapped around each other, keeping each other safe and warm.

//

The next morning, Ashton snaps so quickly back to his normal self, that no one thinks anything of the evening before. They put it down to him actually just being worn out - but now they were heading home, if only for a couple weeks. They were gonna be back in their own small house, just the four of them for a bit.

And Ashton was bouncing off the walls.

Luke had been woken up at half eight that morning by Ashton rolling on top of him like he was a piece of carpet.

“Luke. Lukey. Lukey-poo. Lukey-poo, I love you.” Ashton whispers - not so quietly- as he lies on top of the younger boy, wrapping around him like a koala bear. He nuzzles his head into the space under Luke’s chin, his favourite place to snuggle his larger boyfriend.

“Lukey, wake up. I’m lonely.” Luke can practically hear the pout Ashton has on his face as he finally blinks his eyes open, to be greeted with a soft, fluffy Ashton grinning tiredly in Luke's old sweatshirt Ashton had stolen back in school. Luke's sure that it's practically a rag now, but Ashton insists that it still keeps him warm as ever.

“You’re up!” Ashton cries triumphantly. Luke shushes him, though, nodding his head in the direction of a very exhausted Calum and Michael, curled around each other next to them.

“Shh” Ashton whispers against Luke’s soft skin as he tucks his head back into Luke’s neck.

“You tired babe, or do you want to go watch TV or something?” Luke asks gently - still a little concerned about Ashton’s state of mind - whilst he slowly rubs a hand up and down Ashton’s muscled back.

“Can we go snuggle on the couch?” Ashton asks quietly, nudging his nose along the underneath of Luke’s jaw.

“‘Course Kitten” Luke replies, standing up and gathering Ashton’s giggling and squirming form in his arms. He walks them through to the front room and falls back onto the couch, instantly wrapping his arms around Ashton.

The two lay together for a bit, just the sounds of their soft breathing orbiting the room. “Ash?” Luke breaks the silence eventually.

“Yes Lukey?” Ashton replies, his voice sounding a lot more tired than it did half an hour ago.

“Are you feeling okay? Yesterday was-- hasn’t happened in a while. You’re feeling a bit better this morning, yeah?”

“All I needed was some sleep, I think. And I got the best sleep last night. Being surrounded by my favourite three boys was all I needed.”

//

“You always know how to calm me down the best” Ashton murmurs a while later.

“Yeah?” Luke asks, stroking a hand over Ashton’s hair and nudging his nose against the older boy’s temple.

“Yeah, I mean. When Michael’s calming me down, he’ll distract me. Try to make me laugh or something - and sometimes that’s what I really need. And Calum’s best when I’m sick or something, cause he always wants to take care of me and look after me, of all of us really. But, you. You can always calm me down, no matter what's happening.”

Ashton gently nuzzles into Luke’s skin, sighing against his collarbones. “Like, the first time I ever freaked out in front of you, it was like, you already knew exactly what to do.”

“I was terrified. You weren’t breathing and you were crying so much. I remembered just wanting to hold you and tell you that everything was alright even if it wasn’t because I couldn’t stand to see you cry. So that’s what I did.”

“And it was perfect.” Luke strokes his hand down Ashton’s side, over his faint curves and along his back, effectively pulling him closer as he does so.


End file.
